P.009 Canadian Survey of the neurological care provided to women living with epilepsy: preliminary results

Abstract

Background: In Canada, approximately 300,000 women with epilepsy (WWE) are of childbearing potential. Given the unique aspects of providing care for WWE, our objective was to gather demographic and practice characteristics of health care professionals providing care for WWE to identify potential gaps. Methods: We developed a questionnaire to understand the demographic and practice characteristics of professionals providing care for WWE. We invited all French and English practitioners (physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners), recruited through the Canadian League Against Epilepsy (CLAE), Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (CNSF) and Canadian Epilepsy nursing Group (CENG), to complete our online questionnaire. Results: Preliminary data show 43% were between 32-40 years of age and 76% were medical doctors. Sixty-three percent had been in practice for less than 20 years; 81% considered themselves epilepsy specialists and 66% devoted their practice entirely to epilepsy patients and 78% practiced exclusively in academic centers. Conclusions: Our data shows providers involved in the care of women with epilepsy in Canada are predominantly academic experts in epilepsy. Potential gaps in care include mid-late career physicians, non-specialized health care practitioners, and community-based practices, as less likely to provide care for WWE. This snapshot may provide future insights to the unmet needs of WWE Canada.